1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improvement in or relating to a transport hose floating on the sea surface and transporting petroleum or like fluid.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the case of transporting crude oil, for example, from a tanker to an oil reservoir installation on land or vice versa, the tanker anchored off the shore is connected through a floating hose to a buoy installed off shore and the buoy is connected through a hose suspended therefrom and forming a suitable configuration line and a submarine pipe line to the oil reservoir installation on land. In such transport line, the hose required to be resilient, is subjected to a crack failure in its inner surface rubber layer due to aging of the rubber-like material. This often induces a leakage failure of the transport fluid out of the transport line due to separation in the joint between the nipple and rubber. As a result, the leaked crude oil floats on the sea and results in an ocean pollution or like disasters.
Under such circumference, if the fluid leak is not immediately found, the amount of fluid becomes considerably large to pollute the sea for a wide range in and around the leak point, thereby involving a tremendous loss. As a result, if the fluid flow through the hose begins to leak, it is necessary to find out the leak point as soon as possible and take necessary measures such as repair of the leak point or the like. In practice, however, early detection of the leak point has heretofore been extremely difficult since the transport hose is used on the sea surface.